Oliver Holmes
Oliver Holmes is a member of the group V-14's Alpha Team. Like his direct colleagues, he has a nationality of his own, coming from the United States. He was once a former soldier of Aether, infamously known under the moniker of Black Eagle. Appearance Initially, Oliver possesses a rather "mobster" look to his person, emphasizing his position within V-14. He has the appearance of an adult man with blonde hair and matching-color eyes. For his material attire, he wears a light blue coat with a white and buttoned shirt underneath. A blue necktie hangs from his neck. He also wears blue jean pants with a belt, and leather shoes that are similar to that of the kind from the ROTC organization. The two trademark pistols he wields are holstered within his coat. During and after his incarceration in Aether, he switches attire for a matching white T-shirt and pants, with black boots. Personality Mannerisms & Hobbies Initially, Oliver has a laid-back and easy-going demeanor. He acts rather indifferent and bored to his surroundings, despite his position as a notorious criminal. When it comes to his teammates, he shows a rather competitive and cynical behavior.Los niños de Izanami: Sociedad la TradiciónLos Niños de Izanami: Separación It is not uncommon for him to refer to his teammates by some sort of racial slur, even his leader.Signed In Red: Rise of Valentine He has no regard for the social positions of others, particularly the positions of the bosses of each group.The War of Four: The Hunter and the Hunted However, in terms of missions and objectives, both he and his teammates never allow personal feelings towards each other get in the way. He is willing to work with his teammates to the extent that it proves necessary for their success and survival, resulting in excellent coordination and teamwork. When in combat, he takes sadistic glee in the killing of others, regardless of whether they are his enemy or a simple unfortunate soul that got in his way.Los niños de Izanami: Sociedad la Tradición A frightening trait about him is his determination and relentlessness, which is even greater than that of teammate Shou Yoshizawa's when in combat. Even when in the face of death, he does not allow himself to show hesitation or fear - only fury and bloodlust. Flaws & Issues Despite his fearless nature, he is not exempt from his very own past. The death of his wife and two daughters has left him terribly scarred, albeit he is quite adept at hiding it. Exposure to reminders of the tragedy brings him back to his colder and more detached persona known as the "Black Eagle" - the name he took due to his proficiency in combat. This is also triggered by interaction with any former associates. His near-sociopath nature and ruthless support for brute force and coercion can cause some of his teammates to become even more hostile with him than others. In addition, his pride and stubborn refusal to back down from any argument can even bring him and other companions to the brink of violence.The War of Four: Recovery Beliefs & Philosophies He has a heavy sense and belief in individuality, mostly due to the fact that he himself was deprived of it as a child. A big part of the reason he acts the way he does is because of a desire to express his independence as well as encourage others to do the same. It is because of this reason that, despite the way he acts around her, he has a high respect of his leader Angelika Hartmann. Because he pushes himself to have an honest heart, he has heavy distrust and resentment for those willing to lie to their own about things A big reason as to why he despised Mōka Komori for so long was because she lied about her identity as a Hankami. Background It is unknown who Oliver's parents were or what happened to them, as he was dumped on the streets as an orphan. No one was willing to take him in or adopt him - a trait similar to other children on the streets. As a result, the ones who helped him grow up were older street rats as well as hobos who were stuck in Aether's slums. He was subject to a poverty-filled life, having to steal his necessities as well as learn to fight against others who were aiming for the same things as he was. Despite his initial fear, he allowed himself to grow comfortable with the thrill and danger of performing misdemeanors in exchange for his own survival. As close as he was with his fellow street rats and "parents", he says to have forgotten their names. His life as a hobo didn't last. Aether agents of the military soon came for "cleaning" purposes - sweeping the homeless off of the streets in order to be selected for drafting. Some of the street rats Oliver was with escaped, but he was one of the many that had been swept up. His rebellious and childish nature got him the attention of those who wished to "correct" such attitudes. Unlike the others, who had been subject to better treatment, he was severely disciplined by his captors to the point of having this personality be suppressed completely. What remained on the surface was a calm, serene, and almost clinically detached young man. Although some of his traits remained to be, most of his old self was suppressed and kept from the eyes of the Aether soldiers. This, combined with the rigorous and brutal training he underwent, made him one of the most deadly combatants on the battlefield. As a result of his dissonant serenity he displayed when in the process of slaughtering and killing hundreds by himself, he was referred to by his colleagues and higher-ups as the "Black Eagle". During his time in the military, he eventually fell in love with fellow soldier Allison Holmes who he had first met on the battlefield. They became married to one another during their service and bore two daughters, Kaitlyn and Genesis, despite the protests and warnings of their superiors. It would be several more years after that Allison would be KIA in an Aethean civil war, leaving Oliver to continue raising Kaitlyn and Genesis on his own. In their early teen years, an attack by opposing force was staged on the HQ Oliver was stationed at. In the midst of the attack, Oliver managed to save Genesis and get her to an evacuation vehicle, but could not locate Kaitlyn and was forced to leave. As their vehicle was leaving, Oliver saw his daughter Kaitlyn appear to them. But the driver refused to turn around, and despite the three family members acknowledging each other, Kaitlyn was left behind in the destruction. In a blind, grieving rage as well as an attempt to sever any bonds he had to rid himself of his pain, he shot Genesis in the forehead and left her to die. Then, he staged an attack on the HQ that the refugees and survivors had been evacuated to. With only himself, he was able to kill the majority of everyone involved as well as destroy the base itself before fleeing the area. His actions acquired the interest of Angelika Hartmann, and he was tracked down by her and Shou Yoshizawa. They found him at the outside of a bar, drunk and having recently been kicked out. As he was still angry and self-loathing over what happened, the interaction between Angelika and Oliver was one-sided hostility, resulting in Oliver challenging Angelika to a fist-fight. Angelika promptly ended any scuffle with him by kicking him in the groin, knocking him out, and having Shou take him to the V-14's HQ. When he woke up, she explained her intentions of recruitment to him. After a long conversation and debate, Oliver agreed to join V-14 and work under Angelika. Sometime afterwards, Oliver and Shou developed a passionate rivalry due to their opposing views - something that remained constant throughout their lives as mercenaries. Synopsis *Signed In Red: Rise of Valentine *Revelation of My Heart: The Murderous Truth *From Chains to Magnets Takahashi Arc *Bleach: Shihai no Tsumi: Setting in Motion *Bleach: Shihai no Tsumi: Countdown to the End *Bleach: Shihai no Tsumi: Vengeance Unattained *Bleach: Shihai no Tsumi: Pride on the Blade Children of Izanami Arc *Los niños de Izanami: Sociedad la Tradición *Los Niños de Izanami: Separación War of Four Arc *The War of Four: The Hunter and the Hunted *The War of Four: The Alliance of Blood and Shadows *The War of Four: Dark Revelations *The War of Four: An Eagle's Cry *The War of Four: The Eye of the Storm *The War of Four: Recollection *The War of Four: Recovery *The War of Four: Crossing the Wire *The War of Four: To the Victor Equipment Kidō MK-IV Pistol: Oliver duel wields these in the situations that he has to deal with "superpowered freaks". It is considered to be one of the deadliest weapons on the market, made with the intention of penetrating the hardest defenses. Despite this, it is shown to have virtually no effect on the likes of Rana Zolinder, even when used in the conjunction of other firearms. However, it is implied that its ineffectiveness against Rana's Hierro was due to distance, with the gun requiring close-quarters use in order to be effective against such foes. Both of them are shattered during the fight against Mōshin Tenmō.The War of Four: The Alliance of Blood and Shadows H1NO "Archenemy" Combat Pistol: Oliver uses two of these for the sake of fighting against empowered opponents due to their high power, ability to shred through even the likes of energized defenses, and the number of bullets the pistol is able to carry in a single clip. He first uses this weapon in an attack on a prisoner convoy escorted by the Gotei 13's 9th Division and uses them in replacement for the broken Kidō MK-IV's. GA1 "Crusader" Anti-Material Cannon: Oliver uses this during the V-14's attack on the prisoner convoy guarded by the Gotei 13. It is capable of destroying entire squadrons of foot mobiles with each shot, making it one of the most devastating Kidō weapons in existence. Powers & Abilities Master Marksman: Above all, Oliver is an extremely dangerous opponent when it comes to gunplay, capable of rivaling even master swordsman. It is implied that he had fought to a draw with Shou Yoshizawa.Revelation of My Heart: The Murderous Truth He possesses superhuman reflexes and agility, and can lock onto and kill his targets on a dime. He has an expertise in various forms of Kidō weaponry, such as pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and the like. He is lethally accurate, and is fully capable of killing even a Captain-class enemy with a shot to the right spot. It is not uncommon for him to be able to slaughter multiple targets at a time, as such when he slaughtered several bar customers as they attempted to flee from Angelika prior to a brutal murder of one of them.Signed In Red: Rise of Valentine Immense Spiritual Power: Prior to the reawakening of his Zanpakutō, Oliver's exact level of spiritual energy was unknown. He possessed enough spiritual power to withstand the pressure of Captain-level opponents and Lieutenant-level opponents like Shindō Takuji and Sakura Keikai.Los niños de Izanami: Sociedad la TradiciónThe War of Four: The Hunter and the Hunted In the eve of his and Hyōryū's fight with Choku Kanshin, this was resolved when Choku struck Hyōryū down. It manifested itself in the form of a pressure potent enough to physically restrain and paralyze Choku.The War of Four: The Eye of the Storm In the aftermath of the fight, Choku compared the strength of it as "twice the amount of a Captain-class combatant's".The War of Four: Recollection Expert Hand-To-Hand Combatant: Being a former soldier of Aether, Oliver possesses a high skill of hand-to-hand combat despite it not being his preferred fighting style. He utilizes aggressive movements, preferring to limit the movements of his opponent with grapples, stun blows, and takedowns. He fights mostly with his fists, rarely utilizing kicks in the midst of combat. Even so, he is quite adept and can even fend off more masterful opponents before being knocked back. Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Oliver's skill with a sword has marked him as one of the most dangerous criminals to have originated within Aether. His style of fighting utilizes aggression, constant movement and displacement in order to strike down his adversary. He can overwhelm an enemy combatant within seconds of drawing his blade, allowing for him to strike down multiple enemies within a timespan of a minute. Keen Intellect: Despite his boisterous personality, Oliver possesses a considerable amount of tact and intellect. During his time as the Black Eagle, he staged a successful one-man assault on a heavily guarded HQ and claimed the lives of many personnel there, coming out relatively unscathed. Zanpakutō Ryōshi (漁師, Fisherman): The name of Oliver's personal Zanpakutō. Because of the immense amount of spiritual energy that he had been initially unable to control, it came within the form of a constant-release state. The Zanpakuto slowly regressed back into Oliver's person when he began to disregard it and rely more on Kidō firearms in order for combat. However, in the climax of his and Hyōryū's fight against Choku Kanshin, it reappeared after Oliver witnessed Hyōryū get struck down and became reminded of a past traumatic event while he was in the Aether military. *'Shikai:' Ryōshi takes the form of a sword with a black hilt with red diamond patterns tracing the sides, a double edged three-prong yellow hilt, and three slim, rectangular holes lined up vertically near the base of the blade. The sheath is black, rectangular and features the very same red diamonds on it as with the hilt. :Shikai Special Ability: Ryōshi's abilities stem around the inducement of fear and paranoia into its targets. Because of its status as a constant-release, Oliver can effectively trick his opponents into believing that his Zanpakutō is still sealed while luring them into the influence of these techniques. The nature of these abilities do not kill outright, instead focusing on weakening and torturing the target for an easier finishing blow by the sword itself. :*'Meditation Pulses:' The influence of Ryōshi holds a good deal of influence over Oliver's personality. Occasionally, it will send what can be described as "meditative pulses" in order to calm Oliver in times of great stress. To the full extent, this can cause him to regress to a calm and almost gentle mood even as he's fighting. While not outwardly threatening to the enemy, it can provide the impression that Oliver is constantly toying with the enemy even in situations where he isn't. However, in times of great anger and fury, it can only allow him to think more clearly and make rational decisions while still carrying his emotional ferocity within him.The War of Four: Crossing the Wire :*'Otakebi o Katto' (雄叫びをカット, Cutting The War Cry): If an opponent's aggression is weakened by emotional detriments, Ryōshi has the chance to cut through the weapon of the opposition. This has a similar effect on any projectiles attacks the opponent uses on Oliver; if they hit while the enemy is under a "weakened" state, the effect of the attacks will be drastically lessened if not nullified outright. :*'Kisei Byōki' (寄生病気, Parasitic Sickness): When Ryōshi is spun around in a counter-clockwise motion, it produces a colorless, tasteless and scentless gas. It is undetectable by any means, and the opponent can breathe it in without realizing it. When that happens, the target is subject to the trigger of internal affliction, which can be chosen by Oliver himself. While effects can be various, the most common affliction he uses is where he wills the motor neurons within a person's body to wither and dissolve at a rapid rate, leaving the target unable to move but still capable of feeling pain. The majority of the afflictions he chooses inflict severe torture without death for his victims. :*'Wasureru' (忘れる, Forget): When an enemy becomes too enthralled within the fight, the strength and power behind its attacks lessen and gradually plummet. At the same time, any ally of the target aside from Oliver will start to remember less and less of the target. When the target's power is completely nullified, its allies will lose any and all memory of the target. One of Oliver's personal statements made about Wasureru summarizes it: "You get too caught up in battle, you eventually start to forget the people around you. So in return, they tend to forget about you, too." :*'Uchigawa no Yume' (内側の夢, Inner Dream): Whenever an illusion is cast on Oliver, a counter-illusion is cast to warp the illusion beyond the caster's control and cause it to affect the caster itself. During this period, the Zanpakutō separates itself from Oliver's person and takes on his form to attack the hypnotized caster, hiding his real being within the twisted illusion. Ryōshi can use the illusion as cover in order to provide and effective and terrifying surprise attack to dispose of an enemy quickly. :*'Issetsu' (一節, Passage): Another passive ability that Ryōshi grants. It grants Oliver the ability to slip through any repellent field placed by the enemy. This includes barriers and knock-back techniques such as the Kidō spell Shō. There is no indication that is given when Oliver passes through the barrier, giving him the opportunity to walk in and ambush his enemy without consequence of getting detected. He notes it to be one of his favorite techniques to use, as it can take an enemy heavily reliant on such defensive measures off-guard. In addition, it negates any physical enhancement of resistance; an Arrancar with high Hierro or a Quincy with strong Blut Vene can have the wind knocked out of their lungs with a simple knee or fist. *'Bankai:' Mukasuita Ryōshi (むかついた漁師, Disgusted Fisherman) is the name of Ryōshi's Bankai form. To activate this, Oliver hurls his sword into the sky in a manner similiar to how one would throw a javelin. Once it reaches a certain point, it will generate an explosion of what appears to be white smoke massive enough to overshadow the likes of an aircraft carrier. This cloud of white smoke will continue to hang within the air for a moment before sending out missile-shaped projectiles down upon the area below. The area of range can be decided and changed as long as Oliver wills and has control over it. These smoke missiles can burn completely through fortified structures, energized defense and flesh alike. But the most terrifying trait is its long-lasting effects on the body, which can cause complicated and crippling illnesses such as heart disease, multiple organ failure and destruction of the immune system, which can leave the body vulnerable to invasion by preventable diseases. :Bankai Special Ability: Mukasuita Ryōshi can transform the very environment into a warlike, hellish and apocalyptic setting. His Zanpakutō separates into at least two parts, with the smoke cloud constantly raining down missiles serving as one part. Another part of it takes the form of a lighter Oliver holds in one of his hands. If Oliver points the fire end of the lighter and ignites the spark, he can generate an explosion of white flames at a certain location. This explosion uses the very target as its epicenter and is spontaneous, allowing little to no protection against it once it manifests itself. The power of the explosions can severely immolate, if not disintegrate, whatever is unfortunate enough to become their target. But both of these parts require constant power and control to maintain, and doing so for extended periods of time can take its toll on Oliver's body. Because of this, Oliver opts to use his Bankai only in times of last resort when no other method is available to quell the enemy. Trivia *Oliver's theme is Superhuman by Modern Day Zero. *Despite Oliver's height not officially stated, it is implied that he is taller than Hyōryū Fūsoku. *An ironic running gag is people making fun of and questioning the existence of Oliver's private parts, despite his fearless and outspoken personality. References